Most people would have filed their tax returns by 5 August this year, but several may not have been able to do so for reasons beyond their control.

While being a non-resident or having been out of the country is a common reason, there are other factors like death, mental disability, lunacy or being a minor, which necessitate the filing of returns by someone other than the assessee.

However, not just anyone can log in to the person’s account and file the tax returns.

Who can add another person as a representative to file for him?

In case of the former, where a person is not present in the country, he will have to appoint someone to file on his behalf. On the other hand, if you have to file on behalf of other people, you can’t simply log in to the person’s account and do it.

There are specific people, such as a guardian, trustee, or some other competent person, authorised by law to do so. If you meet the requirements, you will have to register as a ‘representative assessee’ by logging in to the income tax website and uploading the specified documents to prove your credentials. Once your request is approved and you are registered, you can file the returns. If you added someone to file on your behalf, he can access the website and do the same.